Annan urges G8 summit to liberalise trade, ensure energy security

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called on the leaders of the “Group of Eight” industrialised countries to adopt at their upcoming summit bold trade liberalisation measures while tackling the energy crisis in a way that respects the environment. “The lack of significant progress on trade is conspicuous, even perilous,” Annan said in a letter to the leaders of Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Britain and the United States, who will meet in St. Petersburg, Russia in July.

Turning to the issue of energy security, Annan noted that 1.6 billion people in developing countries live with no electricity at all and lack of access to modern energy services — a formidable barrier to poverty reduction. These countries will need to nearly double electrical generating capacity over the coming years to support industrial and broad economic development.

financialexpress